Remote A/C versus remote engine start

Not totally! The exact same accessory is used in other non-hybred Toyotas and, of course turns on the ICE in those.

In the Prius, does the remote start automatically and always turn on the ICE or does it do what happens when you press the start button? In other words, does it put the Prius in Ready mode which would turn on the ICE when needed but not always. If it puts it in ready mode, then the A/C could run without the ICE running if there is enough battery charge.

So, when you say "get in the car and turn on the engine", you mean Ready mode?

 

yes, that is what darkleafer means

 

Thanks, now it's absolutely clear.

I know that people who have the remote a/c or remote start say that it doesn't help if you are walking to the car because there is not enough time to get much cooling.

So here is how I hope to use remote start: I work in a ground floor office with parking right outside my window. On a hot day I can activate remote start 5 to 10 minutes before going to the car. Same in very cold weather.

Another use: on a very hot day, I go to the store to pick up a few items. After I get out and lock the car, I activate the remote start, go into the store and have a cool car to come back to. I would think that in this condition, the ICE might not run.

What do you think? Worth it in those conditions?

 

Remote start will do exactly what you want.

I think if you are at all concerned about having the car be cool AND warm before you get in it, then remote start is definitely worth it. To me remote AC is only a half as good. I use mine in the cold mornings- I don't really find using it for AC to be useful.

Remember for either remote start or the remote AC, you need to be within range of the key fob to activate it.

 

1. office - yep, it's perfect for that.

2. store - might be just as easy to leave car running and lock it using the mechanical key. also avoids going through 2 shutdowns and 2 restarts.

 

i have remote start which was installed after i picked up my car as part of my lease agreement. it did take several hours to install and works just fine. to clear matters up (i hope). it is exactly like getting in your car and hitting the power button, that is if you do not need the ice it is not artificially started. all your settings of ac radio lights etc are continued. after 10 minutes the car turns off. if you get in before the 10 minutes the car turns off and you restart it as normal. on real hot days and this coming winter that will be real nice. this should be in the far out prius gen3 thread: its the only way i know of to have the doors locked and the engine running with you outside your car without using a mechanical door key.

 

Great thread. So it seems that even without the Solar Roof package (the A/C button comes only with that) if I get the Remote Start, I should be able to get into a relatively cool car. And that's what I am l looking for.

But how does it actually work? I've used this feature in some of the Chevy non-hybrid rental cars. One thing I've noticed is that with Remote Start, the A/C goes off in full blast. After you get into the car and insert the key and restart, then the A/C goes back to it's previous setting where I had left it before I stopped the car. What happens during winter when instead of A/C, my settings will be for the heater? Will the Remote Start set off the heater? Anyone with experience?

fgp, I am assuming you've installed Remote Start on your new 2010 Prius. Here in AZ, one of the dealers told me that it's not possible since it's an electric start. It's frustrating to find dealers who don't really know what they are talking about !!

 

The remote start function will start the car, and have it behaving exactly the way it was when you previously shut it off. (whatever the A/C system is set on will resume, be it heat or cold and the same fan strength or auto power... same with the radio channel/volume)

As soon as you unlock the doors to get in, the car shuts down again.
From what I've been reading, if you don't shut it off, it will automatically shut off after 10 minutes...which should be enough time to cool or heat your car. (depending on what you last left the settings at)

Hopefully this clears it up for you.

 

Thanks NolaP. It clears up most of my doubts except the part where you are saying "if you don't shut it off, it will automatically shut off after 10 minutes". Are you referring to the AC/Heater here? I understand that once I unlock the car, the car shuts down (but the AC/Heater continues, right?). Then I restart the car. Does the AC/Heater stop after 10 minutes and I have to restart it? That doesn't sound like a good idea to me. It should continue at the same settings. May be I am too tired after a long drive and not getting it correctly.

 

If you use the remote starter to start the car, it will start up and resume as you left it previously. After 10 minutes or if you unlock the car to get in, whichever happens first, the car will shut everything back down.

If you are getting in the car to drive away, you simply need to start it up again before driving off.

If I were designing it, I would have left it to where you could unlock and get in the car to drive away without having to start it again...but there's probably some simple and logical reason why this is not the case.

 

i'm considering buying remote start mainly for the winters and i park outside. so i anticipate starting the car, have my breakfast, and by the time i get inside my car, hopefully the car is warm and ready to drive. Remote AC is also useful although summer in midwest is not that bad as in the coastal areas! although it seems pricey $529, it would be worth it for me. my only worry is about safety - what if someone finds a way to unlock and drive the car. that is why i'm also thinking about the security system that runs for $329 - is this worth it?

 

As I and others stated before, the engine shuts down when the doors are unlocked.
Now, if someone breaks a window, I'm not sure what would happen.
I hope that the engine would shut down...
Then again, maybe it's mechanically impossible for the car to be driven away if the engine was started remotely. Perhaps this is why it must shut down when the car is unlocked, so that a key MUST be present to start it and drive away.

I can't wait to start using it for the cold months...
For the heater, window defrosters, and to simply warm the engine up before driving.
I think it's a great investment.
After all, heated seats probably cost a few hundred bucks by themselves anyway, right?
Why not pay a little extra to be able to actually turn on the heaters...and defrosters...or cold A/C if you wanted to.

 

Unless the thief climbed in through the broken window, they would still open the door, hence unlocking the car and shutting it down. If they climbed through the broken window, they could drive for the remainder of the 10 minutes, as far as I can tell.

I don't think you'll be turning on the defrosters or seat heaters, as those switches are momentary, as far as I can see, and I do not think they will maintain their previous state when the car is restarted. If you leave the climate control with the air pointed at the windshield and fan high, with a reasonably high temperature set, you should get your front window clear though. I'm in New England, with only the remote A/C, so I'll definitely be jealous even just of a warm engine!

 

Not that simple. He should also avoid touching the brake pedal (that would stop the engine). By not being allowed to touch the brakes, he also could not change "gears".

 

If brake pedal also stops engine (did not know that), then breaking the window won't help Mr. Thief at all... only way to move it is on a flatbed truck.

 

oh! ok. got it! thx. so it is next to impossible to break-in and drive away..what about if someone breaks-in and tries to steal the cd player (and nav-still deciding whether to get this).

 

They can break in anytime they want, stop being so paranoid

 

HUH ?
3 minutes auto shut off after remote A/C on ? that's useless, the A/C won't even be running cool , surely it needs 15/20 mins at least.

BTW, what about the heater in winter ?

 

Something is wrong here, the solar panels run through ventilation fans, not the A/C fans, besides which, the Condenser and Evaporator fans would require solar panels much much larger then you can fit on a prius roof.

 

yes, theft, unless he climbs through the window.